Method of opening and refinishing cans



Feb. 20, 1923.

' M. G. CLYMER ET AL.

ETHOD oF OPENING AND REFINISHING cANs.

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ORIGINAL FILED JUNE l2, 1918.

Patented Feb. zo, 1923.

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MILTON G'. CLYMER AND ARTHUR E. RITCHEY,VOF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI; SAIDRITCHEY ASSIGNOR OF HIS RIGHT TO ANDREW B. REMICK, OF ST. LOUIS;MISSOURI. I

`METHOD OF OPENING AND REFINISHING- v(JA-NS.

Oginalapplication led .Tune 12, 1918, Serial ANo. 239,624. Diirided andlthis application filed February 26, 1919. Serial No. 279,354.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, MILTON G'. CLYMER and ARTHUR E. RITCHEY, bothcitizens of the United States, and residing at St. Louis, in the Sta/teof Missouri, have invented a certain Iew and useful Improvement inMethods of Opening and Refinishing Cans, of which the following is aspecification.5

This invention relates to a method of open- 19 ing and refinishingcans.- .This application -is a division of applicationv Serial Number239,624, filed June 12, 1918.

Many commodities, such are packed and shipped in cans, and inestablishments manufacturing preserves, large numbers of these cans mustdaily be opened to utilize the contents thereof. Now this not onlyrequires considerable labor, but the open cans, when' opened by thepresent methods and mechanisms employed, are unfit for further use, andmust, therefore, be discarded and sold for junk, even though these cansmay be in excellent condition and can readily be utilized. Furthermore,the cans, on account of being shipped, are often bent and dentedconsiderably so as to not only prevent their being effectively opened,but also used again.

One of the objects of this invention, there- 3o fore, is to provide amethod of opening and refinishing cans whereby the edge of the can isreiinished and contoured so as to permit its subsequent use.

Another object of this invention is to provide a method foropening andrefinishing cans whereby the edge will not only be renished andcontoured, but also provided with a rim.

Further objects will appear from the detail description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing which describe and illustrateone embodiment of a method and an apparatus for carying out the method.In the drawing,

Figure 1 1s a vertical section taken through a part of an apparatus ormachine whereby this method may be carried out;

Figure 2 is a detail of Figure l, showing the operation of the mechanismin carrying out the method; Figure 3 is adetail of a can end, showingthe ordinary top in position;

as canned' fruits, `v

can to forma sealed joint.

Fi ure 4 is a View similar to Figure 3, showlng the head partially cutout of the can;

Figure 5 is a plan "of Figure 4;4

Flgure 6 is a View similar to Figures v3 and 4, but showing the headcompletely severed, the edge completely refinished and the rimApositioned thereover; and

Flgure 7 is-.a view similar to Figure 6, but showing the rimA in finalattached position .and the cover in' place. Figure 3- shows an ordinarycan comprismg a can body O having a head H attached to the can by theusual overhanging seam C.

This can is of a type usually employed for storlng commodities, such asfruits and preserves, the head being firmly attached to the Such a canis ordinarily opened by cutting the head along the edge of the can, butthis leaves a rough and uneven edge, which if it is ragged will be wavyso that the can is unfit for further service as a container for storingcommodities.l

In accordance with this invention, the head of the can is cut closely toand along the edge of the can body, while the can edge is beingsupported along but outside of the line of cut; the inwardly projectinglip is, however, pressed against the can body while the outside of thecan" is being supported along the line of cut; the can edge is also-contoured externally to shape it; a rim is now positioned on the cutVedge of the can so as to give a finished appearance.

The mechanism for carrying out this l method may be varied, keeping inmind the essential features. Mechanism for carrying out this method isshown in Figures 1 and 2 and comprisesa' head 26 mounted on a suitableshank. for attachment to suitable operating mechanism, although theshank may form a handle for manual operation.

' The head 4comprises an annular guide 28 which fiares at its lowerendnas shown at 29, t'o-,take over the can. Arranged vinside of thishead is a cutter 30, which has a serrated cuttiing edge 31, adapted tolout the head .of the can. It will be noted that the cutter is spacedfroml the guide, and that the annular recess between the cutter and.thel guide extends beyond and past the ter-- mination of the cuttingedge of the cutter,

. as shown at 32, for a purpose hereinafter to be described. y

The head may either by forced on the can head or the can may be forcedinto the head; Whatever form of relative movement is used, the can willbe caused to enter y distance from the outer edge of the can.

During the first part ofthe movement, the

cutter will puncture the can head at numerous points, and cut along theedge until the head is completely severed. Thereafter, further movementwill cause the cut can edge and the rim to enter the space 32, betweenthe cutter and the guide, soas to force the rim therein, and press thecut edge against the inside face of the can body, as shown in Figure 2.This action Will concurrently straighten out the bent edge of a can, andcontour the rim so as to make the finished edge a perfect circle, withboth the outside and the inside edges of the rim refinished. l/Vhen thehead 26 and the can are again moved out of cooperative relation the' canhead which is now loose in the can, can be taken out and th-e contentscan be discharged.

Figures 3 to 7 inclusive illustrate more fully the method employed, ofcutting and refinishing the can. In Figures 4 and 5, the head H of thecan has been partially cut by the serrated cutting edge 31, as shown atA, and thevcut edge has been partially bent against the inside face ofthe can body. Figure 6 shovvs the cut edge B completely pressed againstthe inside face of' the can body 0, and it Will vbe noted that in vievs7of the fact that this action takes place While the can is engaged on theoutside by the guide, and While the can is thus supported, the edge B ispressed uniformly around and against the face of the can body, so. as toform a completely refinished inside edge. Concurrently, the outer edgeIof the can, that is, the folded over part D of the head rim, has beenrefinished and contoured and made perfectly circular by the engagementof the inside face of the guide therewith.

Accordingly, both the inside and outside. facesof the rim have beenrefinished, and.

this finish is smooth, on account of the Wiping action of the cu'tterand of the guide.v

readily closed by a cover, a formed rim E,

having a finished inside face F, is placed over the refinished rim ofthe can, and the outer flange G is folded over the can, or in Idistortion for an extended any suitable manner, so as to make a firmattachment thereto. This can be done in any suitable manner. The can isthus provided with a finished rim which can receive a suitable cover 1.

Tt will thus be seen that the inventionl accomplishes its objects. pployed is simple and effective and produces, from a can Which wouldordinarily be -junked, one which can be used again for th storing andshipping of commodities. Tt is to bek noted that not only is the canedge supported along, but outside of the line of cut while the cuttingtakes place, but this support is maintained during the pressing orrefinishing operation by a firm linward pressure, resulting-not onlyin-a seamed re finishing and burnishing of the edge, but also inconforming or contouring the can edge to a perfect circle, burnishingeven the outside seam so that the. rim seam can be closely conformed tothe 'can and produce, in effect, a sealed structure.

While one lform of mechanism has been described, it is to be understoodthat this The method emmethod is not necessarily dependent upon Havingthus described the invention, what l is claimed is:

l. The method of opening and refinishing cans, comprising, cutting thehead of the can along and inside of its edge While the y edge is beingsupported against distortion for an extended part therealong but out fside of the line of cut, and refinishing the cut edge.

2. The method of opening and refinishing cans, comprising, cutting thehead of the can along its edge, contouring the outside edge to thedesired shape, and refinishing the cut edge.

3. The method of opening and refinishing cans, comprising, cuttingthevhead of the can along its edge, and pressing the cut edge againstthe body of the can while the outside of the can is being supportedagainst part along the line of cut.

4;. The method of opening and refinishing cans, comprising, cutting thehead of the can along itsedge, and pressing the cut edge against thebody of the can While its outside edge is supported against distortionfor an extended part therealong.

-5. The method of opening and refinishing cans, comprising, cutting thehead of the y 6, The method of opening and renishing 1,446,158 i :it

cans, comprising, cutting the head of the can along its edge, contouringits outside edge to the desired shape, vand pressing the out edgeagainst the body of the can While its outside edge is being contoured.

7 The method of opening and refinishing cans, comprising, cutting thehead of the can along its edge, and refinishing the outside and insideedges of the can While being supported for an extended part therealongagainst distortion. v

8. The method of opening and refinishing cans, comprising, cutting thehead of the can along its edge, refinishing the cut edge, and placing arim on the reinished edge.

9. The method of opening and refinishing cans, comprising, cutting thehead of the can along itsedge, refinishing the outside and inside edgesof the can, and placing a rim on the refinished edges.

10. The'method of opening and refinishing cans, comprising, cutting thehead of the can along its edge, contouring its outside edge, pressingthe cut edge against the body of the can While its outside edge is beingcontoured, and placing a rim on the reiinished edges.

11. The method of opening and refinishing cans, comprising, cutting thehead of the can along and inside of its edge while the entire outer edgeof the can body is supported, and refinishing the cut edge.

12. The method of opening and refinishing cans, comprising, cutting thehead of the can along and inside of'its edge, and reshaping the cutportion While the entire outer edge of the can body is supported.

13. The method of opening andrefinishing cans, comprising, cutting thehead of the can along and inside of." its edge- While the entire outeredge of the can body is supported, and pressing the cut portion out-Wardly against the can body. p

14. The method of opening and refinishing cans, comprising, cutting thehead of the can along and inside of its edge While the entire outer edgeof the canbody is supported, and contouring the can edge in accordancewith such support.

`In testimony whereof We afiix our signatures this 24th day of December,1918.

MILTON G. CLYMER. ARTHUR E. RITCHEY.

